West Bengal Congress president Adhir Chowdhury today urged AICC president Sonia Gandhi to not allow equations of national politics hamper the prospects of the party in the state. The state Congress leadership appears to be in a fix over BJP’s claim of “a new political equation between Congress and Trinamool Congress”, amidst reports that TMC supremo and state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to meet Gandhi next week to discuss presidential elections.

“I understand that the chief minister shall be meeting you soon for discussion on a strategy with regard to election to the office of the president of India. It is important to rope in support of all political parties to oppose a RSS-BJP nominee at a national level,” Chowdhury said in a letter to the AICC chief. “At the same time, it is necessary to emphasise our abiding commitment to democracy and transparency,” he said.

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“Under your leadership and guidance, Congress workers shall continue to fight for democracy and secularism and oppose both TMC and BJP in the state,” he said in his letter. Congress sources here said that Chowdhury wrote the letter as the WBPCC is in a ‘Catch-22′ situation because any association with TMC at the national level will help BJP eat into Congress’ votes in the state.

“The bypoll result of Contai was an eye opener. Any kind of association with TMC will destroy Congress in Bengal. TMC has poached our elected representatives, jailed our leaders in false cases, but we still have been fighting. Now if we go with TMC, BJP will eat into the entire vote bank of Congress in Bengal,” a senior Congress leader said.